As a pilot examiner, I have the opportunity to work with many flight schools and instructors throughout my district. I sometimes take it for granted that my visits to flight schools are a rare benefit to me not often afforded to other flight schools in our local area. The ability to see varied procedures and techniques provides insights into how the average flight school conducts business. I often get to see curriculum development, local airport procedures, internal instructor training, and other aspects of day-to-day operations. [Read More...]

The problem with communication is the perception that it’s been achieved.
—George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright
Boy, was ol’ George right. Communication is central to effective crew resource management. An ambiguous message, whether written or spoken, can lead to fatal consequences. With that thought in mind, one would think airline executives, when drafting memos to flight crews, would take great pains to avoid ambiguity at all cost. Apparently, they don’t. Consider the following 1996 memo distributed to pilots at British Airways in an effort to clarify new pilot role titles: [Read More...]

Call it what you want: H/V (height/velocity) curve, dead man’s curve, or even “limiting height-speed envelope” for those who like sophisticated phrases. The “dead man’s curve” term is probably a carryover from our fixed-wing brethren. The helicopter industry generally accepts the simple reference of H/V curve. The inside of the curve is the area from which it will be difficult, or nearly impossible, to make a safe landing following an engine failure (if you are in the same conditions depicted with respect to airspeed, height above ground, weight, and density altitude). [Read More...]

Every wildfire is different and every wildfire must be respected. It is another triple-digit afternoon, and the third call-out of the day. The radios are awash in static and layers of non-stop chatter. With each hiss and scratch, a mental picture is drawn of the size and scope of the fire. Each crew member prepares for what is to come, and tries to push down rising adrenaline with an outward façade of calm.
Both S-2 air tankers have already made their initial drops and are heading back to base to reload and return. Directed in by the airtactical plane orbiting the columns of smoke, the gleaming white and red UH-1H ‘Super Huey’ charges in at low-level and banks hard to the left. Eyes inside the rotorcraft thoroughly survey the area through airborne debris and haze for any threats adjacent to their chosen landing zone. [Read More...]

RPMN: How did you get your start in helicopters?
The first job I had was as a CFI for a company that went out of business. My second job was with a company that changed ownership. My business, Independent Helicopters, started with $25, a lease agreement with Matt Spitzer, and a positive attitude. So, you could say I have had three starts. Independent Helicopters was where it all really started. I hit the ground running with no safety net and never looked back. [Read More...]

Without reservation, I can say that I have found my passion in life. I love teaching the art of helicopter flight. I don’t know when, where, or why my passion for sharing my love for helicopters developed, I only know that I enjoy it. Equally enjoyable is serving the FAA as a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE). Do all instructors share this passion? If not, what motivates instructors in their vital role within our industry? [Read More...]

Maintenance engineers and mechanics have known about ‘The Dirty Dozen’ for years. They are the 12 most common human error preconditions or conditions that act as precursors to accidents or incidents for mechanics.
I first learned about The Dirty Dozen when I put together a crew resource management course for helicopter engineers and mechanics. I instantly realized that pilots would be safer if they knew about these dozen error traps too.
The Dirty Dozen is a concept developed in 1993 by Gordon DuPont, when he worked for Transport Canada. They have since become a cornerstone in maintenance training courses worldwide. [Read More...]

This year, we at Rotorcraft Pro decided to take a look at helicopter salaries in the industry. There has not been an industry wide effort in the area of salary surveys for nearly a decade and we felt it would be a point of interest for many in the industry, to include pilots and employers.
How much do helicopter pilots make? How much are you worth?
The first question is fairly easy to answer since all it requires is going through a series of data collection and analysis steps. The second question however is a personal one that requires some introspection and comparative analysis. In other words, everyone wants to know where they stand in relation to their peers in the rest of the industry. Additionally, in order to be competitively attractive, employers want to know whether or not their salary structure is competitive. [Read More...]

Insurance is a necessity for helicopter owners. You need it to protect your investment and cover any liability costs should an accident occur. This said, there is no reason to pay more for insurance than you have to. So how do you reduce your policy costs? Here’s what helicopter insurance experts told us. [Read More...]

RPMN: What has been your most challenging job in the industry?
The most challenging job in the industry is to find enough technicians of suitable intellect, work ethic, and attitude to train to our demanding standards, and to also find the technicians that will retain these qualities. Many technicians in the helicopter industry find the opportunities for advancement, in both position and pay, to be limiting after a few years. [Read More...]